Why I Support Harm Reduction
- Robert Kent
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
Harm Reduction Series
June 8, 2026
Rob Kent, Esq., Author and Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC
Tom O'Connor, Publisher
Not everyone who uses drugs is willing to stop! They may never be! Should we write off those who want to keep using, or should we offer them the care they are willing to accept while we work and hope to get them to accept more? I believe that helping others on their terms is at the core of both being human and harm reduction.
I will admit that when I began my service as the general counsel at the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) in 2007, I did not support harm reduction services, especially syringe services programs and overdose prevention centers. I thought that we needed to work to get folks to stop using, and that should be our primary mission.
My work at OASAS put me in a place where I saw too many folks die, I met too many people who loved them who would live with the pain of their loss forever, and I met people who had found recovery only to have a recurrence and lose their life! This forced me to confront my feelings about harm reduction and to remember that being a human meant that I needed to do everything I could to keep people alive, that I needed to support harm reduction. Please understand that I still wish that folks did not use drugs! But they do! I wish those who use it would stop! Some will not!
My support for harm reduction allowed me to lead an effort to remove the NYS regulatory language that made abstinence the goal of treatment; we did not say that abstinence could never be the goal of treatment. We now state that the goal should be driven by the person seeking help in partnership with their provider.
My almost 20 years of working on drug policy at the state and federal levels have taught me never to forget the words above! I have seen what happens when we do forget, and we try to limit access to the full range of service options – too many die needlessly!
For clarity, I support the full range of service options, including harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and recovery! All options should be available, as those seeking services may be looking for any or all of them, and their preferences will likely change over time. The question of whether one option is better than the others is misplaced and ignores my words above! The correct question should always be: how can we help you stay alive and get better?
Accepting the full range of service options means providing sterile syringes and other supplies may be the best option for someone who is choosing to continue use but wants to do so safely, it means offering prevention programming to individuals so that they can build resilience to respond to life stressors safely, it means providing access to a treatment program for someone who chooses to start their recovery journey, it means providing access to a recovery center, to housing, to a job for someone who is looking for recovery supports.
Good drug policy should be rooted in common sense and an understanding of human nature! When we tell others what is best for them, especially after they say they want something else, they too often leave without receiving any help!
The overriding principle of my work is that we must keep folks who use drugs engaged, or they will die! For me, that translates to not conditioning access to essential medicines on compulsory participation in counseling. That translates to finding someone another program when they continue to use harmful substances if you do not believe that you can help them! Treatment and harm reduction programs must be willing to refer folks to each other.
READ:
You might like John Makohen's Book, A Heroin User's Guide to Harm Reduction, found on our author's bookshelf.
As we do this work, we cannot give up on each other!!! Some folks you help will have a recurrence or continue to use. Please accept them and love them!
This work reminds me of the Hindu proverb - "There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place. So, it does not matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain telling everyone that their path is wrong."
We need to remember that addiction is a human condition. We need to be kind to each other, we need to tell, and more importantly, show each other, how much we care about each other!
When you are questioning whether the work you are doing matters, I want you to remember someone alive and hopefully thriving because you were there, you showed them kindness, and you cared enough to help them.
Visit our Substance Use Disorder page for Harm Reduction resources.
As you do this work, you also need to take care of yourself.
Be proud of yourselves!!!
Ultimately, the reason I have hope is all of you!
Rob Kent, Esq.
President
Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC
(518) 669-8596
(571) 546-1680
Read Robert's bio by clicking her icon at the start of this article.
If you enjoyed this article,
Please forward this to a friend or colleague who might benefit from it!
Comments